New Exchange 2013 CU2 Build Includes Public Folder Fix

Microsoft released a new build of Exchange 2013 Cumulative Update 2 (CU2) on Monday.

The new build, known as 15.0.712.24, includes a fix for a previously reported public folder problem. The build can be downloaded here.

Microsoft had originally issued CU2 (build 15.0.712.22) for Exchange 2013 on July 9. However, three days later, the Exchange team discovered the folder flaw and indicated that a fix would be forthcoming.

The public folder flaw can disrupt access permissions that an IT organization has set up. IT shops would typically experience this problem if they installed the earlier build of CU2 and moved either primary or secondary Exchange 2013 public folders, which causes folder permissions structures to get lost.

The new 712.24 build is the one for organizations to install since future security updates for CU2 "will be dependent on this build," according to Microsoft's announcement by Ross Smith IV, principal program manager for Exchange customer service at Microsoft. Smith indicated that there were no schema or Active Directory changes done between the two builds and that Microsoft plans to include any changes in the new CU2 build in a future CU3 release. He added that Exchange 2013 Unified Messaging Language Packs will be released "later this week."

If the earlier 712.22 build was installed by an organization, then an upgrade can be launched from a command line, Smith explained. He cautioned against uninstalling CU2 build 712.22. Removing the build will also remove the entire server installation, he noted.

Microsoft has started releasing updates to Exchange 2013 on a quarterly basis as part of its new release cadence announced this year. These Cumulative Updates include previous fixes, but they also now are complete server installations with the Exchange 2013 releases.

Microsoft updated an August security advisory this week to urge organizations using the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol in supported Windows systems to implement some configuration changes manually.